In response to Ben Karlin's inquiry, we do not have "games" in SW in
Nicaragua. I assume you are referring to entertainment games as opposed to
"learning to read" games, although we have neither. For reading, we find
that students learns quickly enough through complex stories -- and these
are more interesting than flashcards anyway. We have sign in SW in the
dorm, but these are for strictly practical purposes (i.e., "out-of-order",
"wet paint", etc.)

The only games I see are checkers, chess and card games (poker, etc.) (I
had to delete the computer games -- too distracting for students, even if
they do foster eye to hand coordination.) None of these require reading
skills, although learning the basic rules and complex strategies of chess
certainly requires linguistic skills (only the best signers are able to do
it.) One could design games that incorporate written instructions
(Monopoly seems strikingly inappropriate for an impoverished society).
There are two reasons we have not done this: time and money. We devote a
great deal of time to writing texts (stories and history lessons) in SW,
and we do this on a shoestring budget.

Someday, though, someday....

----------
> From: Karlin, Ben
> To: SignWriting List
> Subject: Re: Have you ever dreamed in SW?
> Date: jueves 3 de junio de 1999 16:57
>
> I've got a question.... has anyone GOT games that are played using SW?
>
> Especially for you Kegls (and you Kathy Akehurst and you other folks with
> kids learning SW): Are the kids incorporating SW as an active part of
their
> play? I can imagine kids sitting down and reading their SW Cinderella to
> their dollies, or you adults translating and transcribing the rules or
> paraphanalia for board games into SW ("Win second prize in a beauty
contest.
> Collect $10.") but the question about kids taking hold of SW for
themselves
> and inviting, maybe, writing games? Maybe playing school with each other
> and using SW? Is that happening?
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ben Karlin
> Staff Interpreter for the Deaf, St Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center